Species: Peristedion antillarum, Longnose armored searobin

Peristedion antillarum Teague, 1961

Longnose armored searobin

Head and body flattened below, body completely covered in a heavy armor of 4 rows of bony spiny scales; body low and moderately broad; head short, moderately narrow; snout very long & narrow; bony rim around its side edge  without spines or undulations, ending in a wide flat right angle to head; no spine at nostril, very small or no spine at base of snout plates; rostral plates very long (>snout), slender, slightly diverging;  mouth small; eye small, very narrow between eyes; barbels: 1 lower lip barbel; 0 (0-1) very long (18-22% SL) filamentous chin barbel; opercular spine short; gill rakers 25-29; dorsal fin divided into separate spiny and soft parts, VII-VIII + 16-17, both parts high; anal fin without spines, 15-18, high; pectoral fin 12 + 2 free rays, fin short, free rays very long; pelvic fins wide apart, below base of pectorals, I,5 rays, fins very short; front edge of first spiny plate under belly behind front edge of bony pelvic girdle.

Head and body reddish; spiny dorsal with black blotch on outer ½-1/3 of 1st 4 spines; soft dorsal & anal fins black along outer edge of fin; pectoral fin with black base and black outer edge, outer 2/3 of fin black in small fish.

Reaches 20 cm.

Found on sand/mud bottoms.

Depth range: 330-650m.

S Florida to the S Caribbean.